Dying Embers
by SunnyCharm
Summary: The 100 Zutara challenge, from multiple POVs and writing styles. Destiny might not always be what you planned on, but in the end everything will work out. Rated T to be safe.
1. Spoken

**  
Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story. Big thanks to Bryke for providing such a safe - although probably not at my level - obession for people worldwide.**

**Spoilers: Although none of it is in-your-face Season Three events are given away here.**

**Notes: This is first in what will hopefully be the 100 Zutara challenge. This is more of a challenge for me than anything else, I'll be using multiple writing styles and POVs. The purpose of Dying Embers, for me, is to expand on my abilites as a writer, and all constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.**

**Setting: Post Western Air Temple.**

* * *

'_Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud.'_

_- _Hermann Hesse

* * *

She is sitting on the ground, cross-legged, completely and utterly ignoring him. Her eyes – blue as the sky, in his opinion – are steadily looking ahead, her jaw set, back straight as can be. He knows that she refuses to let her guard down in front of him, refuses to admit that things between them have yet again changed, refuses to admit that maybe there is hope for this 'relationship' of theirs.

Of course, ever since he first joined 'their side', they have never spent any time together – alone. Whenever they talk, her voice is always cold and hostile, and he will back away and stay in the shadows. He's the Avatar's firebending instructor and nothing else.

There is the steady drumming of rain on the roof. He doesn't understand why Aang wants to go flying on Appa now of all times, here of all places. They have had nothing of the outside world for days, for all they know the Fire Nation is scouring every corner of the globe for the Avatar and his friends. He of should people should know just how easy that can be – from brutal experience.

Minutes pass in silence, he doesn't dare to speak. Instead he wonders … what if it had been his sister, the blue-fire demon, he had attacked instead of the Avatar? What would have happened between them after that? Would the invasion have worked out after all? For a while – but a long time in his mind's eye – he ponders, getting lost in the land of possibility that never came.

Then she makes a sound, at a first he isn't sure what it is. Then it happens again, and there is no denying it: Katara is crying.

Unsure of what to do, he glances her way. Instead of meeting blue-eyed hostility, he just sees giant wells of pain. Without thinking, because, as Uncle says, he never does, he walks across the temple floor to her side, crouches onto his knees, and asks what's wrong. She turns away from him, furiously wiping her eyes. And although he's telling himself that what she did was expected, a part of him is still slightly hurt.

Sighing, he himself turns away from her and stares at the wall. If she doesn't want to talk, fine. It's not his problem that she's crying for absolutely no reason. But then he realizes that he's lied to himself because he does know the reason, or at least a part of it. He knows that he is no mind-reader, but a part of him knows that she's angry and hurt because of what he did – and so is everyone else, in their own way. The only one who isn't really holding anything against him is Toph, and for that he is grateful.

She is full-on sobbing now, and he can't help but look. Her face is buried in her hands, knees drawn up to her chin. She looks up and their eyes meet for a second – hers are red and puffy, and her hands are shaking. He doesn't say anything because he now knows that he isn't allowed to say anything to her. But nevertheless, he stays by her side because it seems like the right thing to do.

_Since when did you know the difference between right and wrong, Zuzu?_

The sobs suddenly stop, as if cut off.

He asks if he can do anything to help, because that's all he feels he can do, all the while not expecting an answer.

To his surprise, her eyes meet his own.

And then she says something and there is the spoken word – it does not matter what she says, because all of a sudden he knows that there might be hope for this distorted mess known as their relationship after all.

'I'm sorry.'

* * *

**Notes: Why was Katara crying, you may ask? I like to think that she was really angry at Zuko, more than anything else. From her POV, this was the guy that betrayed her in more ways than one - she's tried to shove aside all this hurt and anger she's been feeling, and now that he's here and they're alone together she has to face it.  
Hope that helps.**


	2. Sacrifice

**Sacrifice**

* * *

_If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. And if they don't, they never were._

_- Kahlil Gibran_

* * *

Zuko walked across the balcony and stood by Katara's side. Her cheeks were faintly blushed, and a smile played on her mouth. Yet it all instantly disappeared the moment she saw him – her eyes clouded with worry and her mouth pressed into a thin, nervous line. Her fingers drummed tunelessly on the balcony railing.

The night sky is now darkening, the sun has finished setting and the stars are beginning to come out. Zuko paused, trying to bring all of his feelings about what happened into a well-constructed sentence that is both rational and believable. But Katara was the first to speak.

'Why did you do it?' Zuko saw her hands grip the railing so tight that her knuckles turned white.

Zuko knew he couldn't tell the truth, but he couldn't lie, either. Suddenly he had to remind himself how to breathe. He was completely torn, he telling the truth was impossible, but he owed Katara at least that.

Then he reached his decision.

'You're my friend,' he said. 'That's all it was. I was helping a friend.'

Katara visibly relaxed, and the corner of her mouth twitched. 'I think jumping in front of a bolt of lighting constitutes as a little more than 'helping', Zuko.' Her face softened. 'You saved my life.'

He looked down. 'I would've done the same for everyone else.'

'Zuko, I know I would've died there if it wasn't for you. It was coming so fast,' she glanced sideways, 'and there was no time for me to run – but you got there. You found a way.'

He shrugged, as if it had been no big deal. 'It wasn't that hard.'

Katara's forehead creased. 'But what about Iroh and Mai?' You'd have left them behind.'

'There wasn't any time to think about it.' Zuko looked out towards the horizon. 'Even after it hit me, I didn't regret it. Firebenders can't heal. Waterbenders can – that's what I kept telling myself, anyway.'

Katara sighed, it wasn't a happy sound. 'I'm sorry,' she said quietly. 'I should have expected that Azula would've done something like that.' She glanced once to meet his gaze. 'I'm sorry you had to be hurt that way.' Her eyes dart once to his chest, where, underneath his clothes, an ugly scar marks him forever.

'It didn't hurt that much,' muttered Zuko. Katara looked at him disbelievingly. He smiled. 'Well, maybe a lot. But you fixed it.'

There was silence. Katara's eyes had suddenly become all shiny, and to his horror, Zuko realized that she was going to cry.

'Did I really?' she murmured.

He nodded. Of course she fixed him. Everything's fine now.

Even without Toph next to them to confirm the truth, they both know that he's lying.

* * *

**AN:**

**Ugh. I really, _really_ hated writing this. It's too short and boring and the quote I chose doesn't really explain what I'm trying to get across here: Zuko and Katara love each other, but aren't willing to do anything about it. So they lie to each other - and, primarily, themselves - so that everything seems fine.**

**Meh, I hope the next one is slightly better.**

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**


	3. Master

**Master**

* * *

"_The magic of first love is our ignorance that it can ever end."_

_- __Benjamin Disraeli_

* * *

When Pakku had been a child, a mere boy, he had always known that the title 'master' was the mark of the highest respect – besides that of 'chief', which he knew, even then, was impossible for a man of his rank to obtain. When you became a master it meant that you had reached the height of your abilities, there was nothing left for you to learn. There were several weapons specialists at the North Pole, even then Yugoda had been considered one – women were not officially allowed the title of master – yet there had been very few waterbenders with the rank of master. Because of his youth, back then, he had always supposed that, technically, waterbenders never stopped learning – he would watch them training in the sparring circle throughout the day and night. He was never told of the failed missions into the Fire Nation, the men that were ruthlessly slaughtered – their bones sent back to the tribe by the messenger hawks those Fire Nation soldiers had been so fond of.

At six years old, Pakku had discovered that he could waterbend. The event itself had been an accident: he had become angry and frozen over a bowl of water. Elated, he had rushed back to his house, through the streets, to tell his parents of the news. And from that day on he knew that he wanted to become a waterbending master.

*

Pakku knows that he is not a boy any more. Soon he is going to die. He does not know when. It could be years from now. Or it could be mere months.

Even though he has lived in an ice-cold climate his whole life, he never used to wake up freezing on the inside. Now his bones ache and it hurts to move. Sometimes Katara offers to try healing his back, but he is never going to accept. Even now, when she is twenty-one years old, a part of him still sees that insolent young girl who challenged him to a waterbending duel, and lost and won in so many ways.

She is here today, as usual the Avatar at her side. These days he is taller than her, but only by a little bit. As usual, they are both smiling and laughing. At not as usual, the Fire Lord is with them.

'Hello Master Pakku.' Aang bows low.

'Pupil Aang.' He knows that attempting to bow low is next to impossible, and instead bobs his head, hoping it is sufficient.

Despite the smiles, Pakku knows that this is a charade. Something has happened, and he doubts that the news is good. He knows this for a fact because Katara never lets Aang's status become a joke. He tries to meet her eyes, and she calmly gazes back. And although she is standing still, his intuition tells her that inside, something is shaking and quite possibly broken. Why else would the Fire Lord be with them?

*

That night he finds out. Katara takes him aside, asking to speak to him privately.

'Pakku, Appa died last week.'

Appa. The giant flying bison – the avatar's constant companion.

He doesn't say anything. Maybe because there is nothing left to say or maybe because he doesn't know what to.

'He was the last original source of airbending. If another airbender arrives after Aang,' she pauses, 'then he or she won't be able to learn. We tried to make airbending scrolls but it was impossible.'

'Why so?'

Katara hangs her head. 'How do you draw a breeze when you can only feel it? How do you describe something you can't really see?'

Again, he says nothing. Then he asks a question he has been pondering all day, with no intention of actually asking it. But somehow, he does.

'Why is the Fire Lord with you?'

Katara blushes and she quickly ducks her head. 'We … ah …'

He frowns. 'Miss Katara, if you –'

Her head shoots up. 'We went on a mission together, okay? It's not what you're thinking; we went to stop slave traders in the Earth Kingdom desert. Only we weren't ourselves,' Katara stops mid-sentence, and looks as if she's trying to make a decision, 'we went in disguise.'

'Does Aang know about this?' Without meaning to, he adds emphasis to that one relatively small word that now means so much.

Katara purses her lips. 'No.'

'Why not?'

'He doesn't understand.' Katara's voice now has a bitter edge to it. He knows that she will now speak openly to him. 'He wants me to stay safe at home, away from everything that's going on right now.' The edge has now consumed her voice; it is evident that Katara is mad. 'But I _never_ turn my back on people who need me. I want to make a difference and –'

The tent door swings open. 'Katara?'

Pakku now finds himself looking at Zuko.

'Master Pakku.' He bows, but fists one hand and spreads the other in traditional Fire Nation style. Then he straightens himself so that he stands tall. 'I was looking for Katara.'

'I suppose you were also seeking an audience with her.' Sighing dramatically, he leaves the tent. 'Dinner will be ready soon.'

*

'Katara, Aang –'

'I told him.'

'What?'

Her voice is shaking. 'He asked why you were here and I told him about the mission and now –'

'You _what_?'

'Zuko, I –'

'You made me promise _on my honor_ to never, _ever_ mention this again during my existence, mortal or spirit, and now you're announcing _you just told your grandfather?'_

'He thought we were having an affair or something like that! What else could I tell him?'

'Oh, I don't know, maybe I came down here with you guys because I wanted to go penguin sledding or something like that!'

Katara raises one eyebrow. 'Seriously?'

'I don't know.' Zuko shuffles his feet on the ground. Then his eyes narrow. 'But at least that way he wouldn't know!'

'Why does this have to be such a big deal?'

'_You_ tell _me_!'

Katara froze, her face streaked with tears. 'We didn't do anything wrong … We were helping people …'

'Then why do you insist on keeping this a secret?'

Silence.

Of course she can't tell him the truth, no matter how much she knows that he deserves it. But trying to explain, even understand, to anybody – herself included – what goes through her whenever she's with him. When Zuko is at her side, there is no suffocation – she's free to be whoever she wants to be. Zuko's never going to stop her from being who she is. And that's the closest Katara's ever going to get to being able to explain how she feels when she's around Zuko: free.

_How do you draw a breeze when you can only feel it? How do you describe something you can't really see?_

* * *

**AN: So yeah ... This is once again a sort of wishy-washy, it's-too-late fic. Katara has sort of fallen for Zuko, but she's with Aang and he's with Mai and now everything's one big confused mess for her. I know Zuko's feelings for Katara were pretty unclear, I wanted to keep it that way. (But if you ask me, she must mean _something_ to him if he agreed to go on a mission together. And, yes, Katara was the Painted Lady and Zuko was the Blue Spirit, for those who didn't figure it out.)**

**Please review xD**

**_Oh, and don't ask me why I started this with Pakku's POV. Or named the fic in honor of him. I have no idea._**


	4. Falling

**Falling**

* * *

He's falling.

Everything is a blur – the side of a cliff, the clouds in the sky – but out of the corner of his eye Zuko can see that Azula is plummeting to the ground too.

He's going to die.

A memory flashes before his eyes – a hand on his shoulder- and then, to his surprise, Zuko looks down and sees Appa.

The bison flies under him, and only then does he realize Katara is reaching up for him. Straining his arm so that he can reach down, he feels her hand clamp around his wrist, dragging him across the sky. Looking down into her eyes, he sees a flash of blue determination, before another hand extends to take his own.

And Zuko isn't worried any more because Katara won't let him die.

For less than a second they stay that way. Katara is the centre of his world and he's going to fall without her. But then he's pulled down into Appa's saddle, landing there with a thud. Katara lets go, turning around so that she doesn't have to face him, and together they pretend that it never happened.

But it doesn't mean that either of them will ever forget.

* * *

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

**AN: I know this is ridiculously short, but the other day it struck me that I could do something with this scene. And thus 'Falling' was born. And this chapter doesn't get a proper quote because there was nothing that could go with it. But PM me if you can find one.**

**Okay, after all these aangsty-lost-my-love chapters, I think I'm going to write some nice, happy, Zutara fluff next. Or whatever comes to mind.**

**Wish me luck and please review.**


	5. Thunder

**Thunder**

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

**A/N: Was going through my list of prompts, found 'thunder' and decided to have a go. Don't ask me when it's set, because I have no idea.**

* * *

Rumblecrashboom.

The ice-cold air bites at her throat and cheeks, turning them bright red. Her dress is too thin for this weather.

Rain pours down, soaking her through, plastering hair to her forehead – she really should have taken the time to braid it when she had the chance.

The puddles are so deep here the water is up to her ankles. Katara doesn't think they constitute as puddles any more.

Zuko is standing at the edge of the field, ice-blue lightning twisting and rippling between his palms like an electric spider web.

Katara stops, captivated by the harsh beauty that is firebending.

Their eyes meet.

And she stops looking at the firebending and starts looking at Zuko. His eyes are bright gold against the morbid blue-grey storm swirling around them both.

And Katara can't remember why she was looking for him in the first place.

Rumblecrashboom.

Can _you_ hear the thunder?

* * *

**Yesh, cheesy ending, I know.**


	6. Burning

**Burning**

* * *

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

**A/N: Was going through the prompt list, 'burning' jumped out and screamed 'write me!' So I did. Basically, Zuko's thoughts after he gets hit by Azula's lightning.**

* * *

He is burning.

The pain engulfs Zuko, swallows him whole. Rips through him, tears him apart. He groans, fisting his hands, but it does nothing to keep the agony at bay.

Distantly – consciousness is an ocean to him and he is quickly submerging – Zuko hears the sound of Katara waterbending. Despite the fact that there is a very good chance he will die here and now, a faint smile crosses his mouth.

Katara is still alive.

It was worth it.


	7. Proximity

**Proximity**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.

**A/N: **Set during CROD.

* * *

There is an almighty sound of crystal shattering and earth collapsing. There is a flash of blue, and out of the corner of his eye Aang recognizes Katara's blue dress.

And then he sees who she's standing next to.

_Zuko!_

There feet are _thisclose_ and from the angle she's standing at – they're _both_ standing at – he can tell that they were facing each other. And they weren't very far apart when doing so.

As quickly as possible, he gets himself out of there – of course Katara will follow him. Literally running out of the cavern, Aang doesn't look backwards. Seeing it again – remember just how close they were – will only make it true.

And, because he is running and has his back turned, Aang doesn't see the way Katara and Zuko's eyes refuse to leave each other's. The way her steps purposefully slow, the way he strains his eyes sideways so that the golden ones stay locked into the blue for as long as possible.

And then they're torn apart and everything is gone.

* * *

**Lameo-ending. I know ...**


	8. Stars

**Disclaimer: **Believe me, if I owned AtLA, this would already be canon.

* * *

Katara was smiling. In her arms, the sleeping Miksa stirred. Quickly she made soothing noises, gently rocking her small daughter in her arms. In a matter of seconds the infant girl was asleep, snuggled up against her mother. Lieutenant Wuu smiled indulgently, affection in his green eyes.

'She truly is the spitting image of her mother,' he said, glancing once at Katara as if to compare, before his eyes turned down towards little Princess Miksa.

'Really? Whenever I look at her, all I see his Zuko – especially in the shape of her face.'

'I suppose she does have her father's cheekbones,' mused Wuu. 'I wonder which element she will bend?'

'As you know, Miksa is a Water Tribe name. Just the other day Zuko commented that it would be ironic if she was a firebender.'

Wuu chuckled. 'Yes indeed.' It then appeared that a Fire Nation soldier wanted to talk to the man, so Wuu bid his farewells to mother and daughter, and took his leave. Almost instantly, Zuko appeared at Katara's side.

'I hope your conversation with the Lieutenant wasn't too dull,' he said quietly into her ear, 'he does have a reputation of being somewhat ... boorish.'

'Really? He actually seemed quite pleasant,' remarked Katara, 'he was happy to talk about Miksa – he said that she looked like me.'

'Oh yes?' answered Zuko, taking Miksa out of Katara's arms, careful not to awaken her.

'But I told him that I thought she was all you – apart from her colouring,' she added quickly, 'I mean, it is sort of a giveaway.'

'Yes,' laughed Zuko, 'the tan skin, brown hair, and blue eyes might be something of a giveaway.'

'Just maybe.' Katara's voice was a laugh, too. 'But I think her face is shaped like yours.' The two made their way through the crowded hall together. 'Especially her cheekbones.'

Curiously, Zuko looked down at the still-sleeping Miksa, examining her. 'You think?' he asked doubtfully.

'Of course I do. She wouldn't be this perfect otherwise.'

The two reached the edge of the room, and stepped out onto a balcony that overlooked a splendid view of the mountain range the Southern Air Temple was situated upon. The sky was dark, inky blue, and there were millions of silver stars shining in the sky.

'Wow, the stars are shining so brightly tonight,' said Katara, gazing up at the night sky, 'it's beautiful.'

'Yes,' said Zuko, looking directly at her, 'it is.'

In her slumber, Miksa smiled.

* * *

**AN**: Did I just write ... Zutara fluff? (Because, seriously, lately it seems that all I can write is angst.) I had a lot of fun writing this - finally something light and fluffy! And just to clarify, Aang and peoples are probably throwing a big party or something at the SAT, and of course Katara, Zuko, and Miksa were invited, along with everyone else.

- Miksa is an Inuit name that means 'between'. Yup, not very deep, but it sounded too cute xD


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